Stock feeder



o.- D. DUKEl sTocK FEEDER Sept. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 14, 1947 lis- 1:1111.

. Sept. s, 1953 o. p. DUKE, 2,651,291

STQCK FEEDER Filed Nov. 14, 1947 2 Smets-Sheet 2 f v/ Eq, f, n j 3 I NVENTOR. @am 39ML By Patented Sept. 8, 1953 A. UNITED "STATI-:s PATENT ol-Flc STOCK FEEDER Olin D. Duke, Guymon, Okla.

Application November 14, 1947, Serial No. 786,120

3Y Claims. (Cl. 119-54) 1 v This invention relates to stock feeders, more particularly to stock feeders operated by the animals themselves, and is specifically concerned with feeders wherein operating power is supplied by the animals in licking a baited element of the feeder. Y

An object of the invention is to provide an improved device for feeding granular feed, particularly salt or other minerals, to stock. The feeder, being animal operated, requires a minimum of attention and service and protects the supply of salt from injury by the elements and from damage by the stock prior to its consumption. Another object is to provide a stock feeder lthat is economical to manufacture and simple to maintain. Other objects and advantages of the feeder will appear in the following description.

Typically, the device of the invention is a tongue-driven stock feeder including a container for feed, a tongue-driven element remote from the feed in the container, means actuated by y.the tongue-driven element for dispensing feed from the container, and means for directing dispensed feed upon the tongue-driven element.

`The invention will be more particularly described With reference to the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. in which:

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a stock feeder; Fig. 2 is a vright side elevation of the feeder in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 'iis a front elevation of a modified form of the stock feeder of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a. section on line 5 5 of Figli;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing, Figs. 1 to 3, the stock feeder shown has a hopper I including a forwardly and downwardly sloping bottom II and a removable cover I2. The hopper may be made of sheet metal and is adapted to contain a, supply of granular salt or the like and designed to protect the salt from the weather. A pan or receiver I3 is secured by a bracket I4 to the hopper and is arranged to receive salt from the hopper and to act as a, feeding trough, for which purpose `the top of the trough is open.

At the lowest point of the hopper in the angle between the front wall I5 and the bottom II thereof, there is positioned a device for dispensing salt from the hopper and conducting it to the feeding trough. This device takes the form of a, screw conveyor having a tube I6 provided with a plurality of holes I1 for the adbushed end of the tube.

ing of the screw I8 draws salt mission of salt from the hopper. A screw I8 is rotatably carried in the tube and hask a driving extension I9 extending from the right-hand A sheave 20 is affixed to the end of the extension I9. A downwardly sloping pipe nipple 2I conducts mineral from the tube I6 to the pan I3. Y

Mounted within the pan I3 between a bearing bracket 22 and a bearing 23 located in the'righthand side wall of the pan there is a rotatable cylinder 24. The cylinder is fixed to a shaftf25 that carries a sheave 26, and a belt 21 drivingly connects the sheave 26 and the sheave 20. The cylinder 24 is preferably' made of wood and'lis provided with a number of drilled pockets 2-8 in its surface for a purpose which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

It will be noted that the pipe nipple or conduit 2I has its lower outlet end positioned directly above the cylinder 24 so that salt or other feed discharged from the end of the pipe will *fall upon the cylinder.

In operation, a supply of granular salt-is charged into the hopper II). Cattle'for which the salt is intended are attracted to the feeder and, particularly if the feeder has been in use or the cylinder or roller 24 has been baited by rubbing it with moist salt, the cattle will lick the roller causing it to rotate in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2 and to drive the screw I8 in the sense of the arrow of Fig. 3 through the belt drive hereinbefore described. The turnfrom the hopper I0 and dispenses it down the pipe 2I and onto the roller 24. Moisture from the tongues of the cattle is deposited on the roller and in` the pockets 28 thereof causing some salt to stock on the surface of the roller and inthe pockets, thus maintaining the roller in a baited condition. Excess salt falls into the receiving pan I3 from which it may be eaten by the stock. When the pan is empty, the stock, if in need of salt, will be induced to lick the roller and thus obtain additional salt.

A modification of the stock feeder of the invention wherein the feed dispensing means includes a rocking valve is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6.

The feeder has two sections. The upper section III) consists of a hopper with a rearwardly and downwardly sloping floor section III, and a removable cover I|2 for charging the hopper. The lower section I I 0 is provided with a feeding opening |20 and a. trough-like floor II3 to receive salt from the hopper.

At the lowest point of the hopper floor III4 there is a rocking valve H4 for dispensing feed from the hopper. This .valve is constructed with a rigidly mounted dispensing conduit H5, the upper end of which forms a valve seat H5" for the rocking disk H6. Members I2l project up- Wardly from the hopper oor Ill to provide lateral stops or guides for the disk H6. Attached to disk H6 is the valve actuating arm H1. This arm projects downwardly through the dispensing conduit.: Atzits .lowerfend yoke bar H8 is rigidly attached* tov the" arm." Roller H24' is rotatably mounted in the lower ends of yoke H8. Conduit extension H5 provides stops engaging the cross-l v members of the yoke to limit the foravardfrock ing and to substantially prevent rotation of the valve actuating arm I I'I. The upward andlbacke Ward motion of arm IIT isIimitedby .,thelower end of the rearward portion of "conduit 'H5.`

Roller |24 is provided with feed catching pockets'...

I I9 on its surface. In Loperationfa supply or" granular feedstui,

- for example salt, isplaced'inthe-hopper H0 and ,the-roller |24t maybe baited by rubbing-moist saltvfinto its surface pockets. I I9: Cattle seeking -salt are` attracted tothe baitedroller and-lick this cy-lind e rcausing it tol rotate and rock.Vv The rocking lifts rocking disk ,fl I6 from its seat and -saltffrom .thehopper flows through conduit H5 ori-toftheesurface` of .the roller, rebaiting-y it.

-Excesssalt is caught onthetrough-likefloor I I3 vWherefit can beconsumed by the cattle. When `this trough -becomes empty, the stock will be Jinduced bye'the. material still retained on. the

rollertoV lick the roller and thus obtain additional salt. Y

It .willbe seen that'the tongue-driven rollers 24 and |24 are remote'from andf'never touch-.the

salt'in the hopper; vhence; the salt is not contaminated by animal salivak and remains dry and free-running at.: allftimes 1 thus insuring con- ,tinuous and reliable operation of the feeder.

It will also be apparent that theldischarge: of1 salt -upon therollers and theability of thefrollers to 4Aretain salt `upontheir surfaces and inthe-indentations .thereofinsures that the rollerszwill remain= baited pand that lthe stock will be: induced -to actuatelthe devicewhenever necessary.

From the `foregoing description of the inven- For example, other This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Ser. No. 697,236, filed September 16, 1946 for Stock Feeder, and noW abandoned.

I claim:

1. A tongue-driven stock feeder `comprising a hopper for granular minerals, a tongue-driven roller having mineral retaining pockets formed in its surface positioned beneathsaid hopper and .free fromgdir'ect-'contact jwiiili'the feed in said hopper, ayalvei-nA the bottoxnof said hopper, actuated by rocking said roller for dispensing minerals from the bottom of said hopper and a condition for directing the dispensed minerals to andin contact with said roller.

2. A tongue-driven stock feeder comprising a hopper for granular minerals, a valve seat rigidly mounted in the' bottom of said hopper, a rocking valve: disk on said seat, a valve rod attached to said disk and projecting therefrom, a tonguedriven'vroller havingmineral retaining pockets formed in its surface'. rotatably carriedgbylthe lower end of said rod whereby Inovement-ofsaid roller actuates said'valvedisk to.dispensemii'1 l Aerals from said hopper', a -vconduiii.for..directing the dispensed minerals toand inl contactf with said roller, .andj a trough; positionedltoQreceive excess minerals fromsaid'roller. l 3. A tongue-driven vfstockfeeder compris' gia hopper. forfgranular feed, a dispensingvalve. at the bottom of said.hopper,.,a valveV actuating rod extending from said valve. downwardly-from said hopper, a tongue-drivenroller carried by.. the lower end of said rodrand/positioned beneath'said valve, and a trough positioned tolreceive, excess feed from saidrollen` l 4. O LIN. D. DUKE.,

russa-.an@esy Cited in.f the me of .thiszpatent 

